Hidden in Plain Sight
by dazdnconfusd730
Summary: A new evil emerges and threatens to destroy the world as we know it. A prophecy forsees only one can stop it, but at the cost of his own life. When Ash becomes involved, one must wonder, what does the prophecy have to do with him? Dark fic.
1. Default Chapter

"Aaron?" hissed a young fifteen year old boy. "Where did you go?" Colin glanced around, seeing nothing but thick brush and trees. He began to feel afraid. He had told Aaron that coming this deep into the forest was a bad idea, especially at night.   
  
His sense of hearing was working overtime; every bug chirp, every rustled leaf seemed to echo loudly in his ears. The bush next to him began to shake and he backed away nervously.   
  
"Ah!" A voice cried, as a figure leapt at him from the bushes.   
  
Colin screamed and tried to run, but only succeeded in tripping and falling. Terror filled him. Then he heard it. Laughter. The figure that had leapt at him sat a few feet away, laughing hysterically. Colin fumbled with his flashlight and with a shaky hand he turned it on, aiming it at the figure. The light illuminated the face of a sandy haired boy, no older than he was.  
  
"Aaron!" Colin said, struggling to his feet. "That wasn't funny."  
  
Aaron continued to laugh, but managed to choke out, "You are such a wuss!"   
  
"Shut up!" Colin snapped. "I'm going home."  
  
Aaron stopped laughing. "Oh, come on, Col. It was only a joke." He watched as the brown haired boy began to walk off. "Colin. Colin come back. I'm sorry," Aaron called. Colin disappeared behind a tree. Aaron sighed and began to follow.  
  
Suddenly he heard Colin say, "Aaron, come here!"  
  
Aaron smirked. "What's the matter? Too afraid to walk home by..." he trailed off. He had caught up to Colin and stood, enraptured by the sight before him. A large stone temple rose into the air, ancient in construction. Vines had inched their way over most of the structure, hiding much of it from view, although its large doors were visible.   
  
Aaron was the first to find his voice. "Let's go in."   
  
Colin looked at him as though he had announced he was pregnant. "Are you insane?"  
  
"Come on, Colin, for once don't be a baby," Aaron prodded.   
  
Colin bit his lip. After a moment of contemplation he walked foreword, shining his flashlight upon the entrance. "Hey there's something written here," he said to Aaron. He read it out loud.   
  
"Inside these walls pure evil lies dormant, awaiting those who will set him free. That which can be seen in plain sight, but not recognized as evil, he will destroy all that has been or will be. Only one can stop him, one who's worth is not even known by he himself. But the death of this evil will also be the death of this good."  
  
The boys stood in silence for a moment before Colin said, "Somehow, I think going in there is a bad idea."   
  
Aaron rolled his eyes. "You don't really believe that do you? Someone just wrote that to keep kids like us from going in."   
  
Colin looked at Aaron, then back to the temple. "Well, it's working. Let's go."  
  
"Fine," Aaron said. "You go home. But I'm going in."  
  
"Aaron, that sounded like a warning and a prophecy all rolled into one," Colin protested.  
  
Aaron ignored him, and set himself to the task of examining the large doors. Small golden tiles, each with a picture of a different pokemon, covered the door. Aaron felt the door open with a click after pressing a tile that bore the picture of a ditto. "Yes! We're in," he said.   
  
Colin peered cautiously into the darkness beyond the door. "If we destroy the world, I blame you," he muttered.   
  
Aaron smiled as they entered, using Colin's flashlight to see. The inside of the temple took their breath away. The walls were made of pure gold.   
  
Colin squinted his eyes. Pictures seemed to be carved into the walls. Colin stepped closer to the wall to examine the drawings. "These look like ancient hieroglyphics," he told Aaron. He ran his fingers over a picture of a man shooting a bolt of lightening at another man.   
  
Aaron didn't seem interested in the pictures as much as a large golden chest that stood in the center of the room. With a small click Aaron unlocked the chest and began to open it. A noise much like a gust of wind caught their attention. Colin's flashlight suddenly died, leaving the two in total darkness.   
  
"Hang on," Colin said. "I have extra batteries in my bag." He began to open the zipper.   
  
"Colin let go of my arm you big baby," Aaron snapped.   
  
From across the room, Colin turned towards the sound of Aaron's voice, his own shaking as he replied, "I'm not touching your arm."  
  
"Colin," Aaron whispered, a slight hint of fear in his normally steady voice.   
  
Colin jumped when Aaron screamed. He clutched his chest, his heart beating rapidly. The scream died off, although it still echoed through the temple. "Stop trying to scare me, Aaron," he said, on the verge of tears.   
  
Aaron screamed again and Colin's stomach tightened in fear. He fumbled with the batteries, nearly dropping them in the process, but succeeded in getting them into the flashlight. Aaron had been screaming the entire time. He turned on the flashlight and added his own scream to Aaron's. Pure terror filled him and he dropped the flashlight and ran from the temple.   
  
Aaron's screams suddenly stopped and nothing could be heard but Colin's distant cries and the thump of Aaron's body as he fell to the floor. The flashlight lay on the floor, spinning, and every time it would come around it would illuminate Aaron's face, shining the light into his lifeless, unblinking eyes.   
  
  
  
  
A/N: I know, a bit gross, but I had to get my point across. Ok, so I lied, I took about a one day break before I grabbed my notebook and began this story. Are we really that surprised? Yes this is the sequel to If I Could Change the World. You do not need to read that first, unless you're curious as to how Ash and Misty ended up together, where Ash's powers came from, and any other small references that you may find in this fic, but this fic does stand alone. The next chapter will reintroduce Ash and Misty and I basically have it written so be on the look out. With that said, are you all ready to begin a new journey?  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before and I'll say it again. I do not, nor ever will, own Pokemon. (But every young girl can dream can't she?) 


	2. cha 2

"ASH!" The scream reverberated through the house.  
  
A young man sat bolt upright in bed, his golden brown eyes wide open. His ebony hair was sticking up in odd places, disheveled from sleep. He quickly leapt from the bed and went running into the hallway, where he skidded to a stop in front of a rail. The hallway overlooked the living room and he looked down to see the source of the scream.   
  
"What? What is it?" he called down, his heart pounding from the sudden adrenaline rush of being woken by his wife's scream.   
  
She looked up at him and flashed him a sickeningly sweet smile, but her icy blue eyes clearly told him she wasn't happy. She tossed her lengthy red hair over her shoulder and said, "There's a another reporter here to see you."   
  
Ash sighed and willed his heart to return to it's normal speed. "Just tell him I'm sleeping."   
  
"Too late," Misty said, casting an irritated look at the high backed chair next to her.   
  
A young woman stood up from the chair and turned to look up at him. She pushed a few loose stands of dark blue hair from her eyes. She was dressed classy, in a gray pant suit, with a pencil tucked behind her ear. The corner of her mouth turned up when she saw Ash was only wearing a black pair of sweatpants. She quickly ran her eyes over his muscular upper body.   
  
Ash's face grew red at the examination and he shook his head, sighing. "I'll be right down."  
  
His wife cast one more annoyed glance at the woman before heading up the stairs.   
  
Ash returned to his room and began to change. Misty entered shortly after, her face red in anger. "I told her you were sleeping, but she pushed her way into the house saying she would wait until you woke up." Here she paused shortly, then continued her rant. "Well!" she cried in indignation. "I wasn't going to have her sit there until you woke up. The nerve, barging into my house-" She was cut off abruptly when Ash kissed her.   
  
"I'll take care of it," he said, pulling away from her, grasping her shoulders.   
  
Misty sighed and sat down on the bed. "Ash, ever since the day you came back, reporters have not left us alone. I can understand the frenzy after you returned, but it's been two years," she said in exasperation. "When are they going to leave us alone?"  
  
"Probably never. Maybe we should have Pikachu answer the door from now on," he said with a slight smile. "That way he can shock them all."  
  
That made her smile.   
  
"I'd better go down," he said running a brush through his hair. "Make sure she isn't stealing anything."  
  
Misty's expression quickly changed to shock. "Do you think she is?"   
  
Ash shook his head and raised his arms in defense. "I was kidding." With that he left the bedroom, and a very disgruntled redhead, and headed down the stairs.   
  
When he entered the living room, the woman rose from the chair, a smile on her face. "Ash Ketchum, how delightful to see you again," she said, her voice bubbly.   
  
He studied her, puzzled. "Do I know you?"  
  
"We met awhile back, when you were still on your pokemon journey." She looked him over once more, silently wishing he had remained in his sweatpants rather than jeans and a T-shirt that simply didn't do him justice. "My how you've grown," she mumbled.   
  
His face flushed again and he quickly changed the subject. "I'm sorry, I still don't know who you are."  
  
"Of course you don't remeber. It was years ago. I'm Duplica," she said, extending her hand.   
  
Ash's eyes lit up in recognition. "Duplica!" He grasped her hand. "How are you?"  
  
"Not bad," she answered. She gestured to the pink notebook in her hand. "I'm a reporter now."  
  
Ash nodded.   
  
"What about you?" she asked. "I see you married that redheaded girl, Mossy."  
  
"Actually it's Misty," Ash corrected her.   
  
She waved her hand dismissively. "Right, of course."   
  
At that moment Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder.   
  
"Oh, and here is cute little Pikachu!" she said excitedly.   
  
Ash and Pikachu exchanged baffled glances. "Pikachu," Ash said. "You remember Duplica."   
  
"Pika," the yellow pokemon said, nodding.  
  
Duplica had a wide grin on her face as she sat back down in the high backed chair. The large chair seemed to envelope her small frame. "Now, Ash," she said, pulling the pencil from behind her ear. "Mind if I ask you some questions?"   
  
Ash sighed, sitting down on the couch across from her. "Actually, Duplica, I stopped doing interviews about a year ago-"  
  
"Good!" she said enthusiastically, ignoring him completely. "I'm doing a piece about the night Gary Oak and Team Rocket raided the Master's Mansion."  
  
Ash stared at her, dumbfounded.   
  
"You never went into specifics on how you managed to defeat him," she continued.  
  
Ash had thought it better not to tell the world about his powers. He didn't want people to continuously bother him about them, although he still seemed to receive much unwanted attention. The only people who knew about his powers were Misty, Brock, Richie and the gym leaders. Unfortunately, it was well known that Gary had had powers, which caused a major controversy about his defeat.   
  
Ash glanced at Pikachu. *What do I say?* he asked telepathically.   
  
Pikachu shrugged. *Want me to shock her?*  
  
*No!* Ash looked back at Duplica, who was patiently awaiting an answer. "Pikachu, killed him," he said.   
  
Duplica stared at him skeptically, her pencil poised in midair. "I find it hard to believe that a little pokemon like that defeated a full grown man with supernatural powers."   
  
Pikachu angrily glared at her, his cheeks begin to spark. *Can I please shock her?* he asked.  
  
"Pikachu!" Ash said out loud.   
  
Duplica raised her eyebrows. "You two are connected?" she asked. Then she grinned. "So are Ditto and I." She closed her notebook and held it up. Looking closely Ash could see a small thin mouth and two beady eyes on the pink cover.   
  
"Ditto is your notebook?" he asked.  
  
Duplica shrugged. "I had to trade in the straw hat for something a bit more practical." She smiled, then reopened her notebook. "But we've gone off topic."  
  
Ash was contemplating an answer to her question when the phone rang. "Excuse me," he said, relieved for the excuse to escape. Duplica nodded and crossed her legs, leaning back into the chair.   
  
With Pikachu still on his shoulder, Ash rose and crossed the room to the wooden desk on which a video phone sat. "Hello?" he answered, sitting in the chair that went with the desk.   
  
"Ash?" came a distorted voice. Ash furrowed his eyebrows. The picture was fuzzy and was fading in and out, as if something was wrong with the video feed.   
  
"Who is this?" Ash asked. "I can't see you."  
  
"It's Richie," the voice answered, but it was difficult to hear.   
  
"What's the matter with your phone" Ash inquired.   
  
"We're... trouble," Richie said, his voice cutting out at times. The video feed was virtually nonexistent. "...Can't leave... Indigo... under... control."   
  
Ash played with the phone dials, trying to fix the connection. "Under whose control, Richie? Who can't leave?"  
  
Richie didn't answer Ash's questions. Whether it was because he didn't hear them or didn't have time, Ash didn't know.   
  
"Ash... help..."  
  
The phone cut out completely, and nothing else was heard. Ash stared at the phone for a few moments before he cried, "Misty!" as loudly as she had called him previously that morning.   
  
She flew from their room as Ash had done earlier. "What's wrong?" she asked, a worried expression on her face.   
  
"Pack your things, we're going to Indigo," Ash told her, not offering an explanation.   
  
"Why?" Misty asked, quickly making her way down the stairs. She stood in front of him, trying to decipher his expression. What she saw scared her. He looked as he had when he had first returned. Emotionless and cold.   
  
"I just got a call from Richie," he said, staring at the wall behind her. "Something has taken over Indigo."  
  
Misty's eyes widened. "I'll go pack."  
  
"This will be a great story!"   
  
Both Ash and Misty turned to see Duplica scribbling furiously in her notebook. They had forgotten she was there. "So," she said, concluding her sentence. "When do we leave?"  
  
Ash looked at her in disbelief. "We? You're not going."  
  
"Oh yes I am," she said.   
  
"Not you're not," Ash told her.   
  
Duplica narrowed her eyes at him. She always got what she wanted. "Try and stop me."  
  
Ash's eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you really want me to?" Misty and Pikachu watched the exchange with interest. Ash was becoming his old self. Although he couldn't stand reporters he was normally polite to them, but now it looked as if he wanted to shock Duplica as much as Pikachu did.   
  
Duplica took a step back, a slight shiver of fear running through her. She shook it off though and remained firm. "I'm going to Indigo one way or another. I'll follow you if I have to. Besides, if I'm going and something strange is happening there, don't you think I would be safer with you?"  
  
Ash narrowed his eyes at her. She knew she had him. He sighed. "If you get hurt, remember, you were the one who begged to come along."   
  
A small grin formed on her face.   
  
*Ash,* Pikachu thought. *It's not too late to shock her.*  
  
  
  
A/N: Quick little note, I have never seen the episode with Duplica in it, the information I know about her was gathered from other stories. I gave her my own idea of her personality though. I hope you are enjoying this, hopefully the chapters will be longer as the story continues. Please review. 


	3. cha 3

Ash stood outside of his home, watching the sun set. Colors swirled together creating a collage of reds and oranges. It was fall and brightly colored leaves lined the ground. A light breeze blew Ash's hair from his face and caused his trench coat to billow behind him, an ocean of black waves. He had traded in his normal garb for his more comfortable and practical black traveling clothes.   
  
Ash loved the beauty of Pallet Town. He and Misty had decided to live in Pallet, allowing Misty's sisters to run the gym. Ash had offered to live in Cerulean so Misty could pursue her goals, but she had declined, saying she didn't receive any fulfillment from being the gym leader anyway.   
  
Misty walked through the screen door, holding it until it closed so it wouldn't bang as it usually did. She set her backpack on the ground. Ash wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. They both stood, marveling at the beauty of the sunset, which was quickly turning into night.   
  
The loud bang of the screen door and a shrill voice calling, "Hello!" broke the serenity. "Are we ready?" Duplica asked, not noticing the twin glares she was receiving.   
  
"Not exactly dressed for traveling, are we Duplica?" Ash said, noting she was still in the elegant clothing she had been wearing earlier.   
  
She glanced down at her apparel and shrugged. "Oh, I'll be fine." She looked around expectantly. "Now, where's the car?"  
  
"What car?" Ash said. He pulled a pokeball from his belt. "We prefer a quicker means of travel." With that he opened the pokeball and Zapdos materialized.   
  
Duplica's eyes widened as she realized what pokemon was standing in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, making her look remarkably like a magicarp. Ash had chosen to keep Zapdos a secret along with his powers.   
  
After a small fight between Misty and Duplica about seating arrangements, they were airborne. Misty scowled as Duplica's long blue hair was whipped into her face once again. She had lost the argument when Ash had pointed out that Duplica had never flown before and was afraid of falling off. Misty had reluctantly agreed to sit in the back, an act she was now regretting, seeing as Duplica was hugging Ash tightly around the middle, a large smile on her face.  
  
They flew all night and most of the day. It was growing dark again when Zapdos landed near the woods by the mountain, just outside the Mansion's courtyard walls. Ash slid off Zapdos, gave him an affectionate pat, then recalled him. Unfortunately, Duplica hadn't gotten off yet and was quite surprised when the pokemon she was sitting on dematerialized. She landed on her rear with a thud.   
  
"Hey!" she cried, standing up and rubbing her behind.   
  
Ash only shrugged. "Ok, I'll go in first and see if it's safe."   
  
Misty stopped him from talking any further. "Ash you've been up all night and all day. We're all tired. I think we should get some sleep before we go barging in there."   
  
Ash looked ready to protest.   
  
"I know you're worried about Richie," she said gently. "I am too, but you're no help to him if you pass out from exhaustion."  
  
Ash sighed, knowing she was right. "Let's make camp."  
  
Duplica gave an indignant snort. "Oh, no. I'm not sleeping on the ground."  
  
Ash had bent over, attempting to start a fire. He looked up at her. "Then go home." He had no qualms about her leaving.   
  
Duplica looked around the camp. Misty had gone to collect firewood and Pikachu sat on a nearby log, contentedly sucking on what appeared to be a bottle of ketchup. She returned her gaze to Ash who had gone back to the fire. She watched as he lightly blew on a few glowing embers which took to the small twigs he was using for kindling, evolving into a fire.   
  
She sighed, plopping onto the log Pikachu was currently sitting on. "I'm only staying because this story will win me the Pulitzer."  
  
Pikachu stopped sucking and looked at her skeptically. He then stood up and hopped from the log. His momentum pushed the log and the next thing Duplica knew, she was on her back, her legs flailed in the air. Ash took a look at the sight and began to laugh as he warmed his hands by the fire. The night was cool and his breaths came out in small puffs.   
  
Misty hadn't yet returned with the firewood and, although he had his back to Duplica, he heard her stand up. The crunch of leaves and her muttering led him to believe she was going to walk off her frustrations. "Don't get lost Duplica," he called. It was dark and Duplica obviously wasn't used to traveling.   
  
"Pikachu," he said to the yellow pokemon, which had settled himself beside him. "Go with her. She'll get lost and I don't want to have to go find her."  
  
Pikachu shot him a dirty look, but quickly scampered off, after carefully setting down his beloved ketchup.   
  
Ash settled himself on the ground, leaning against a tree, not far from the fire. He sighed and closed his eyes. After a few moments he heard the crunch of leaves once more, only this time it was at a quicker speed, leading him to believe someone was running. His eyes snapped open and he quickly stood up.  
  
A man ran into the small clearing where they had made camp. He skidded to a stop, his brown eyes wide and darting around the clearing, which was lit dimly by the fire. He stood, his back to Ash, panting.  
  
Ash looked at him, surprised to recognize him. "Brock?" he asked.   
  
The man whipped around, looking at Ash.   
  
"You stay away from me," he said backing away from Ash. Ash furrowed his eyebrows. "What's the matter?" he asked, taking a step towards Brock.   
  
Brock only shook his head and took another step backwards. "Just stay back."  
  
Ash stopped walking. He didn't understand what was wrong with Brock. "Brock," he said tentatively. "It's me, Ash."  
  
"No," Brock said, fear covering his features. "You're trying to trick me. Ash is in Pallet Town with Misty."  
  
Ash shook his head. "No, I flew here on Zapdos."  
  
Brock's fear seemed to lessen slightly, although he still seemed distrustful. The stood across the clearing, staring at one another. Ash didn't know why, but he knew he had to prove he was indeed Brock's longtime friend. "Brock we've been through everything together. You were there when I won the Indigo League, you helped me when Gary tried to take over the Master's Mansion. You were my best man when Misty and I were married."  
  
Brock's face softened, but he made no move towards Ash. "Where's Pikachu?" he asked noting the absence of Ash's ever present pokemon.   
  
"He's in the woods, he'll be back soon," Ash told him.   
  
They stood in silence for a moment, Brock obviously contemplating what to do. A soft "Pika," from behind them, announced Pikachu's return. The tension was obviously noticeable, for Duplica remained silent, watching the two men with interest. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder. *What's going on?*  
  
*I honestly don't know,* Ash told him.   
  
"Ash, I hope I got enough wood," Misty began, as she walked into the clearing. She noticed the tall man standing in the clearing and placed the wood carelessly by the fire, saying, "Hi, Brock!" She walked over to hug him.   
  
*Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea,* Ash thought, wishing he could communicate with her the way he did with Pikachu.  
  
To Ash's surprise Brock didn't take off running. On the contrary, he allowed her to wrap him in her arms, then he hugged her tightly. He buried his head into her shoulder.   
  
After a few moments Ash said," Brock what's going on?"  
  
Brock and Misty broke from their embrace and Brock ran a hand through his dark brown hair.   
  
"Who's this guy and why did he suddenly go biserk?" Duplica asked. Although Ash was wondering the same thing, he glared at her for her lack of discretion.   
  
Brock glanced at the blue haired stranger, but chose to ignore her for the time being. He directed his attention back to Ash. "I don't understand how you knew to come."  
  
"Richie called," Ash explained, walking towards him. "What's going on?"   
  
Brock walked to the fire and sat down, crossing his legs in an Indian style. He shook his head sadly, saying "It just took over."  
  
"What?" Ash asked as he took a seat next to him. Misty added some wood to the fire then sat on Brock's other side. None of them noticed Duplica take a seat on the log across from them, her notebook open and her pen ready to write.   
  
"A week ago, Richie called me and told me an ancient temple had been discovered and there may be some inscriptions that needed to be translated."  
  
Ash nodded knowingly. In the years that had followed Ash's becoming Master, Brock had taken up translating as a hobby. He had grown quite good at it and was now often called upon to decipher ancient writings.   
  
Brock continued. "It wasn't until I arrived at Indigo that I discovered the whole story. The temple had been found by two teenage boys. One was found inexplicably dead, the other, so traumatized that when he was questioned, all he could do was whimper."  
  
Ash and Misty exchanged bewildered glances, but didn't interrupt. Even Pikachu had set down his bottle of ketchup and was listening intently.   
  
"Richie sent me and a team of archeologists to Viridian Forest to examine the temple. When we arrived, we found an inscription written outside the doors: Inside these walls pure evil lies dormant, awaiting those who will set him free. That which can be seen in plain sight, but not recognized as evil, he will destroy all that has been or will be. Only one can stop him, one who's worth is not even known by he himself. But the death of this evil will also be the death of this good." Here Brock paused, and cast a glance at Ash. When he continued, his gaze never left Ash's face.   
  
"Inside the temple, the walls were made of pure gold and ancient hieroglyphics were carved in them. Many of them depicted a beast being slain by a man with a lightening bolt. In the center of the room, a golden chest sat on a pedestal. It was open and empty. Instead of letting me examine it, the head archeologist ordered it closed and brought back to Indigo with us. Although I thought this strange, I didn't question it. We returned to Indigo Plateau a few days later, and that's when all hell broke lose. When Richie was informed about the chest, he wanted me to look at it. The chief archeologist refused, then suddenly became enraged, grabbing a guard by his neck and snapping it. The real surprise came when he transformed into the man he had just killed." Brock paused, noting the three astonished expressions that were directed at him.   
  
"The thing ran off and in a short time it had managed to turn off the power to the entire mansion, leaving us in the dark and without communication." He looked puzzled. "Richie must have called you after I escaped. But then where did he get the power?" He shook his head then continued his story.  
  
"While the thing was distracted I was able to examine the chest. The ancient writings told of an evil so devastating that it had to be locked away, because only one was powerful enough to kill it. The writings described the evil as one with the powers of a ditto, able to transform it's shape to look like anything."  
  
"That's why you didn't believe that it was me," Ash said, understanding Brock's reaction.  
  
Brock nodded. "With the power out, Richie and I tried to find our way out of the Mansion, without being discovered by the evil. As we walked, we found bodies everywhere, some with broken necks, others, killed the same inexplicable way as the teenage boy. We made our way to the bottom floor of the Mansion and had almost made it out when Richie's assistant, May, called out to us. We waited for her as she ran down the hallway after us. As she reached us, her beautiful features shifted and she transformed into a copy of Richie." Brock hung his head. "It had tricked us."  
  
Misty smiled sympathetically, gently placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Brock took solace in this, and with a deep breath he continued. "The thing launched itself at Richie, and they began to fight I quickly lost track of which was which and stood, helpless as they fought. Before long, one had pinned the other, his hands wrapped around his neck. The one with the upper hand looked at me and told me to run. The other cried out for me not to leave him. I still couldn't tell one from the other so I stood, rooted to the spot. Then the Richie that was being choked slammed the heel of his palm into the other's chin, snapping his head back. The force of the blow sent him flying. The Richie that had just sailed through the air looked at me and once again told me to run. He pulled something from his pocket and threw it to me. 'Don't let him get it' were his last words before the other Richie knocked him unconscious with a powerful punch. Then the conscious Richie turned and advanced on me, transforming into a replica of me as he walked."  
  
Brock looked at Ash sadly. "I didn't want to leave Richie, but I had to. Whatever Richie had given me was obviously important. I did the only thing I could. I ran."  
  
Ash nodded. "I know. You did what you had to."  
  
After a moment of silence Ash spoke up. "Obviously Richie was still alive after you left if he made that phone call to me."   
  
"Yes," Brock agreed, but stopped when he realized what Ash was thinking. "Ash..." he trailed off, not wanting to say that Richie was probably dead by now.   
  
Years of friendship enabled Ash to understand what Brock was thinking without him speaking the words. "Brock if there's even the slightest chance of him being alive I have to try."   
  
"Ash, it killed everything it came across," Brock protested gently.   
  
Ash ran a hand trough his dark hair. "I have to at least try."  
  
Misty and Brock exchanged sullen glances. Pikachu climbed into Ash's lap. *I'll go with you.*  
  
Ash smiled gratefully at the little pokemon and scratched between his ears. Pikachu hopped from his lap and Ash stood up, his expression determined in the dim firelight.   
  
"Ash, please..." Misty began, but trailed off knowing she couldn't stop him.   
  
Ash turned and began to walk from the clearing. He stopped. "Stay here. I'll be back soon," he said, his back to them. Then he disappeared into the shadows, Pikachu at his heels.   
  
As soon as he was gone Duplica hissed, "Is he crazy? That thing will kill him."   
  
Misty rolled her eyes and Brock simply stared at her. After a few moments of silence he said, "Who ARE you?" He wondered why a complete stranger had been sitting at their camp.   
  
"Brock, you remember Duplica," Misty said, her voice monotone. Noting his quizzical glance she muttered, "Don't ask."  
  
"So," Duplica began, breaking the silence that had settled over the group. "What did Richie throw to you?"  
  
Brock's face lit up in remembrance. "I never got a chance to look at it," he said, pulling the object from his pocket. He held it up in the glow of the firelight to allow himself and the women a good look at it. Gleaming in the soft glow of the fire, a golden pendent hung from a chain, also made of gold. Strange markings covered the pendent. The smallest markings circled the perimeter, gradually becoming larger until there was one big symbol in the center. The largest symbol was a bolt of lightening, which caused Brock and Misty to exchange worried glances.   
  
"Hey!" Brock said. "I recognize this. The same symbols in this pattern were inscribed on some ruins I inspected on the outskirts of Vermilion City."  
  
"What was at the ruins?" Misty asked.   
  
"I don't know," Brock answered sadly. "They were closed after a cave in. I never got to examine the rest of them."  
  
"Do the symbols mean anything?" Duplica inquired.   
  
Brock squinted his eyes and lowered his head so the pendent was only inches from his face. "Yes, but I'm not sure what yet," he admitted.   
  
"I wonder what is so important about this that Richie wanted you to protect it," Misty said, picking up the pendent from Brock's hand and turning it over a few times.   
  
Brock shrugged. "Hopefully Ash will find him and he can tell us himself."  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, here it is. Chapter 3. Hope you liked it. The next chapter will hold more action, I promise. Sorry this took a while to post but I had writers block twice, on two different parts of this chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Well, you know the deal, read and review. Thanks. 


	4. cha 4

Ash landed inside the courtyard walls with a soft thump. His trench coat billowed behind him as he crouched, looking around the dark garden, searching for danger. All seemed quiet, inside and outside of the mansion. Trees rustled as he slowly made his way to the door, almost seeming to be warning him. The door stood next to a large round window. The corner of Ash's mouth tilted upward slightly when he saw it.  
  
Richie had thought it amusing to leave the large gaping hole Ash had made in the wall there, simply having it covered by glass to form a window. He teased Ash, calling it a reminder that even the great Ash Ketchum could be thrown through a wall. Richie didn't understand why Ash didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.   
  
Ash quietly entered the mansion. As Brock had said, the power was off, making it difficult to see down the marbled hallway. A pair of brown eyes, like his own, peered from the black bag that was resting on Ash's shoulder's.   
  
*It's been so long since we've been somewhere dark and potentially life threatening,* Pikachu thought.   
  
*Can you hear anything?* Ash thought, hoping Pikachu's extra sensitive hearing might be able to pinpoint Richie's location.   
  
Pikachu stuck his head completely out of the pack, his yellow ears twitching slightly. *There is a noise coming from the end of the hall,* Pikachu informed him.   
  
*Friend or foe?* Ash asked. He squinted, but was unable to see anything.   
  
*I have exceptional hearing, not eyesight," Pikachu snapped telepathically. *How on earth should I know?*  
  
Ash sighed. Ever since Ash and Misty had been married, Pikachu had begun to pick up some of Misty's more... temperamental traits.   
  
He walked down the hall, silently grateful his boots were so quiet. As he walked, Pikachu climbed from the bag and took his position atop Ash's shoulder. A soft methodical thumping worked it's way into Ash's hearing. Thump. Thump. Thump. As he neared the end of the hallway he saw the small glow of light shining onto the hallway floor.   
  
*I thought the power was out,* Pikachu thought, noticing the soft yellow glow.   
  
*The elevators are on backup generators,* Ash explained. He watched curiously as the rectangle of light became larger then smaller, in time with the thumping.   
  
It wasn't long before a rancid odor invaded his senses. Obviously Pikachu smelled the scent too, because in the dim light Ash could just see him crinkle up his black nose in disgust.   
  
*What is that?* Pikachu asked.  
  
Ash then saw the source of the noise and smell and took a step backward in disgust, visibly blanching. He felt Pikachu dig his small claws into his shoulder, the fur along his back standing on end.   
  
A body lay between the doors of the elevator, which were desperately trying to close. They pounded relentlessly against the dead man's sides, and his body jerked slightly every time it was hit. Ash had seen numerous bodies in his lifetime, in fact, during the three year span he had been on the run from Team Rocket he had created quite a few. The sight before him, though, appalled him. The man, no older than twenty, lay in a pool of his own entrails, which, upon closer examination had been pulled out through his mouth.   
  
*I suppose this is the inexplicable death Brock was talking about,* Ash thought as a slight shudder ran down his spine.  
  
*Let's go,* he thought, carefully walking around the man, towards the steps. The elevator doors continued to pound the man, taking their vengeance upon the already dead soul.  
  
The second floor was strewn with more bodies, some killed the same way as the man downstairs, others, more neatly with broken necks. The smell remained evident, obviously emanating from the bodies that were crudely disposed of in their own fluids.   
  
Pikachu's ears twitched as Ash picked his way through the carnage. *Someone's up there,* he warned Ash. *Someone alive.*  
  
Ash stopped and looked up, pushing his unruly black hair from his eyes with a hand. He squinted, but was still unable to make out anything in the uninviting darkness. He continued walking, this time more cautiously, hoping to find Richie, not the monster who had murdered all those people. As he neared what Pikachu had heard, his own inferior ears began to pick up on some weak breathing. It was raspy, almost labored.   
  
Ash stopped walking when something he had thought to be a shadow moved. He turned sideways, preparing himself. Ash was able to make out a silhouette, but was unable to see any feature of the person. He decided that he needed to see his possible adversary. *Pikachu, use flash.*  
  
Pikachu complied, and began to glow. The yellow light grew brighter and crawled along the hallway until it illuminated a pair of ebony shoes. The light stopped, going as far as it could, leaving the rest of the figure clocked in shadows.   
  
"Come into the light," Ash said quietly.  
  
"Ash?" The figure asked, before stepping into the light. A man with disheveled brown hair was suddenly fully illuminated. Golden brown eyes similar to Ash's stared at him, although his right eye was surrounded by a black and blue bruise. Dried blood the color of rust lay in streaks down his temple, contrasting greatly with his light brown skin. He wore a navy blue suit that was torn in several places.   
  
"Richie?" Ash said, appalled at the treatment of his friend. He began to walk towards him when another voice stopped him.   
  
"Ash, no!"  
  
Ash whipped around, his trench coat fluttering with the movement. His jaw dropped when he saw Richie standing behind him, exactly the same as the one in front of him, right down to the black eye.  
  
The second Richie spoke. "It's a trap."  
  
Ash whirled around again as the first Richie called out, "He's lying!"  
  
Ash looked between the two, unable to tell the difference. *Pikachu,* he thought desperately. *Can you tell which one is Richie?*  
  
Pikachu hopped to Ash's feet, his ears flattened to his head. "Chu," he said sadly, shaking his head.   
  
A silence settled over them as Ash stood between the two identical Richie's.   
  
"Ash." Ash turned to look at the first Richie. "Come on, we've been friends since we were ten. Don't you recog-Watch out!"  
  
Ash ducked as the blade of a sword sliced through the air above him, where his neck had been only moments before. From his crouched position he used his arms for balance and kicked the legs out from the man he now knew was not Richie. The Richie look alike fell to the ground, his sword slipping from his grip and sliding away. Ash sprung to his feet at the ready.  
  
"Ash!" The real Richie said, looking as though he was going to jump in and help.  
  
Ash raised his hand in a stop gesture. "Stay there, I need to be able to tell which of you is which."  
  
Richie reluctantly stayed put.   
  
Ash returned his attention to his attacker, who had made it back to his feet. He said nothing as he bent his knees and raised his arms, preparing to fight. Pikachu scampered out of the way, allowing Ash room to maneuver.   
  
Richie's clone was the first to attack, aiming a left jab at Ash's jaw. Ash blocked the blow with his forearm and countered with a swift punch to the stomach. The man's air expelled from his lungs with a loud "Oof," and he stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his footing. He charged at Ash and quickly aimed a flurry of punches and kicks at him. Ash managed to parry many of them, but a well placed roundhouse kick sent him flying. Whatever the thing was, he was fast and powerful. Ash landed painfully on his shoulder with a crunch, a few feet away.   
  
Ash slowly pulled himself to his feet, glaring at the replica of Richie. He had had enough.   
  
The fake Richie's eyes narrowed as his adversary was suddenly surrounded by a golden glow. He spoke for the first time, a deep penetrating voice much unlike Richie's light and airy tone. "I see I have underestimated you. I will return when I am stronger and finish this."   
  
Ash stopped powering up and watched with curiosity as particles of light formed around his figure. The light began to weave itself together and formed a dark gray clock atop his body, covering his form from view. He back flipped a few yard behind him, and on the final flip his hands grabbed his earlier dropped sword. With a swish of his cloak he was gone, leaving Ash, Richie and Pikachu to wonder what had happened.   
  
~*~*~  
  
Three figures sat huddled around a fire, trying to remain warm in the rapidly decreasing temperature. A soft rustling of nearby bushes caused them all to look up. A pikachu leapt into the clearing, squeaking a small cheerful "Pika!" as a greeting.   
  
"Where's Ash?" Misty asked, looking around expectantly.  
  
He appeared through the foliage supporting a very battered looking Richie, with an arm laced under his shoulder. Misty rushed to help him, taking the burden from Ash, who also appeared slightly worse for wear. Ash noted Brock staring suspiciously at Richie as Misty gently helped him sit by the fire.  
  
"Believe me Brock, it's him," he said, rubbing the shoulder he had hurt in the battle. It had been dislocated and was still very sore from when Richie pulled it back into it's socket. It didn't comfort Ash at all knowing that his adversary had enough power to dislocate his should with one kick.   
  
Duplica remained silent, watching the scene and taking notes. After all, some of the best news stories were written by reporters who had the sense to simply keep their mouths shut and observe.  
  
"Are you ok Richie?" Misty asked in concern.  
  
He nodded. "I'll be alright." He looked at Ash, who stood a few yards away, still massaging his aching shoulder. "How about you?"   
  
"I'm fine," he said, dismissing the subject.  
  
Silence descended upon the group until Richie, his bruised face tired, spoke up. "What are we supposed to do about that thing?"  
  
Ash, still apart from the group, shrugged, wincing slightly as pain shot through his shoulder.   
  
"Richie, what was so important about this pendant?" Brock asked, pulling the object from his pocket.   
  
Richie's expression became troubled. "That's just it, I don't know. Not long before that thing took over, I found it on the floor. I had planned to show it to you. When it attacked me, it kept trying to get the pendant." He shrugged. "So I threw it to you."  
  
None of them noticed Ash, who was still a good distance away, out of reach of the small fire's light, narrow his eyes the moment the pendent was pulled from Brock's pocket. A faint whistling had begun in Ash's ears as soon as the pendent became visible. The whistle grew, becoming louder and louder until Ash could hear that it wasn't whistling, but screaming. It was the sound of many voices wailing in shrill tones, pain and hate filled within each horrible note. The screaming became louder until his friends voices were completely drowned out and all that was left was the howl of tortured souls. It became overbearing as he squeezed his eyes closed and clamped his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to drown the noise out, although it only seemed to grow louder, becoming almost a roar.   
  
Then it suddenly stopped. Ash cautiously opened his eyes, then slowly let his hands relax, removing them from his ears. His head was pounding as his hearing returned to normal. He could make out the conversation that was taking place only yards away. His friends had continued to talk, oblivious to Ash's sudden reaction to the pendent, which had only ceased when Brock had tucked the pendent back into his pocket.   
  
"I saw those exact symbols on a ruin at Vermilion City," he heard Brock saying.   
  
"That can't be a coincidence," Richie said.  
  
Ash composed himself and began to walk towards the fire saying, "We should go there. We may find some clues about how to destroy this thing." They all nodded in assent. Ash sat next to Misty, staring into the flames of the fire as they danced with one another. He remained silent, his eyes contemplating the odd phenomenon that had occurred moments before.   
  
"Ash?"  
  
He turned to look at Richie, who, along with the others, was staring at him quizzically. Richie cocked his head. "Are you alright? I was talking to you and you kind of zoned out."   
  
Ash absently rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm fine. What were you saying?"  
  
Richie raised an eyebrow, but continued. "I was wondering how you knew to come."   
  
It was Ash's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You called me."  
  
Richie's expression became dumbfounded. "I never called you."  
  
The entire group, Duplica included, shot incredulous looks at him. "Yes you did," Duplica said, breaking her code of silence. "I was there."  
  
Richie glanced at her, unsure as to who she was. He returned his gaze to Ash and said, "I never called you. I couldn't. The power was out."  
  
"I'm having the distinct feeling of deja vu," Misty muttered, running her fingers through her fiery red hair.   
  
"Well," Ash said. "That means that whatever that thing is called me, impersonating Richie."  
  
"So it WANTED you to come?" Misty asked.   
  
"Apparently," Ash said, returning his gaze to the fire. "Get some rest. As soon as the sun rises we'll head to Vermilion. We will have to travel by foot, Zapdos won't be able to carry us all." He continued to stare as the flames fought one another, writhing and tossing each other in a swirl of red and orange. His mind was flickering as fast as the flames, each thought coming to the surface, only to be quickly pushed away by another.   
  
  
  
A/N: Did anyone catch what Misty meant about the deja vu? And is my writing getting a little gory or what? Anyway, it's Christmas vacation and everyone knows what that means: more time to write! I have one little problem for you all. I was suddenly hit by inspiration and have felt the need to start another fic. It's completely different from this and If I Could Change the World. I don't usually write two fics at once, but when inspiration strikes sometimes you have to give in. Don't worry though, I will do my best to regularly update both stories. Hope you have a merry Christmas! 


	5. cha 5

Morning arrived to soon for all of them, except maybe Ash, who had found it impossible to sleep anyway. Each time he would doze off, not fully asleep, but not completely awake, he would picture the dead man in the elevator, or hear the screams from the pendant.   
  
When the others awoke, moaning and stretching as they opened their eyes, Ash was already up and dressed. It was a while before everyone was fully awake and ready, especially Duplica, who insisted upon applying her makeup before they went anywhere.  
  
The sun was well up by the time they began their journey. Moving at a steady pace, they made good time through Victory Road.   
  
Ash's shoulder was still very painful, throbbing and becoming tighter as the day wore on. He wasn't one to complain though, unlike Duplica. She hadn't expected to do so much walking and had worn high heeled shoes.  
  
It was steadily becoming dark by the time they reached Viridian Forest. Ash narrowed his eyes as they neared the entrance. Something felt wrong, out of place. Pikachu, who was sitting on Ash's good shoulder suddenly perked up his ears. He thrust his nose into the air and sniffed.  
  
*Ash, something's not right,* Pikachu thought.  
  
*I know, I feel it too,* Ash replied.  
  
"Stop," he said aloud. He had been bringing up the rear of the group so everyone turned to look at him.  
  
"Oh, thank God," Duplica said, plopping onto the grass on the side of the road. She took off her shoes and began carefully massaging her feet.  
  
Misty noticed the odd expression that covered Ash's face as he stared into the forest. "What's wrong, Ash?" she asked, walking to him and placing her hand lightly upon his arm.   
  
He shook his head, still staring through the trees, a frown upon his face. "Something isn't right," he muttered. He tore his gaze from the forest and looked at her, his golden eyes boring into her. "Can't you feel it?"  
  
She took a step back, unnerved by the slightly haunted look in his eyes. Brock and Richie looked on, alarmed at their friends sudden change in demeanor.  
  
The only one in the group who didn't seem phased was Duplica, who struggled to her feet, her shoes in hand. "What are you talking about? I don't feel anything."  
  
Ash returned his attention to the forest, where a thick fog had begun to settle, weaving it's way around the numerous trees. Something in the atmosphere was unsettling. Ash finally realized what was wrong. It was silent. Not just quiet, but absolutely silent. There was no noise at all coming from the forest. The trees were not rustling, there were no calls from wild pidgeys, no crunch of leaves by wild rattata. Even Pikachu, with his extra sensitive hearing, couldn't detect the slightest noise.  
  
Ash had been concentrating so hard on the silence, when Richie spoke he visibly jumped. "What's wrong, Ash?" he asked.  
  
"The noise," Ash muttered, still staring at the forest, deep in thought. The sun was almost completely down now, and the eerie glow of the moon caused the tree branches to cast long thin shadows over the path they were standing on.  
  
"What noise?" Brock asked, becoming deeply concerned for his friend, since he didn't hear anything.  
  
"That's the point," Ash said, glancing at him. "There is no noise. No wild pokemon, not even a breeze rustling the leaves."  
  
They all stopped to listen and were amazed to find he was right; there was no hint of any sound.  
  
"Maybe it's just a quiet night," Misty suggested.  
  
"Nothing is this quiet," Richie observed softly.  
  
"What do we do?" Brock asked. "Diglett's Cave is the quickest way to Vermilion. And the only way there is through Viridian Forest."   
  
He was right. Taking Diglett's Cave they could be at Vermilion in two to three days. Any other way could take over a week depending on which route they took.  
  
"This has something to do with that thing," Ash said, looking at Brock and Richie, the only other two in the group who had had an encounter with it.   
  
Brock nodded. "Viridian Forest is where it was released," he pointed out.   
  
"So," Misty piped up. "The question is, do we risk it? Or go the long way around."  
  
Richie looked at Ash. "It ran from you before. There's no reason it won't again."  
  
"It ran from you?" Duplica asked excitedly, pulling her notepad from her pocket. "Why?"  
  
"Unless it's become stronger," Ash said, completely ignoring Duplica, who scowled and put her notepad away.  
  
"So should we go another way?" Brock asked.  
  
Ash was silent for a moment, contemplating his options. "No," he said decidedly. "The longer it takes us to get to Vermilion, the more time it has to get stronger. We'll go through."  
  
As soon as they entered the forest, Duplica began to feel as though Ash's decision had been a mistake. Fog immediately began to envelop them, making it difficult to see more than two or three feet in front of their faces. Duplica quickly grabbed the closest arm she could find, which turned out to be attached to Brock. Brock, who had grown out of his girl happy days, was less than happy to have a blue haired appendage clinging nervously to his arm.  
  
Ash, who was leading the way, commanded Pikachu to use flash. Pikachu's attack appeared as a small glow, barely able to cut through the heavy fog to give the people behind them something to follow.   
  
The fog was thick, unnaturally so, making Ash feel as if he was breathing it every time he inhaled. Ash frowned as Pikachu's flash failed to cut through the fog before it was simply absorbed by the mist. To top off the lack of sight, the forest still remained deathly silent, giving Ash the feeling he had gone deaf and blind.  
  
It was because of the silence, when Ash heard the coo of a pidgey, he stopped suddenly, causing Richie to run into him.  
  
"Ash, what are you doing?" Richie asked, slightly irritated.  
  
"Shh," Ash said, his finger to his lips, although Richie couldn't see the gesture anyway.  
  
The first coo was joined by another, then another, and soon pidgey calls were all that could be heard. Then, almost as if on cue, the fog shifted, thinning out enough that they could see a large tree in front of them. The trunk was thick and knurled, and it was obvious the tree was quite old. There were no leaves on it at all, allowing them a perfect view of an entire flock of pidgey that was sitting in the tree. Each bird pokemon glared at them, their fierce red eyes flashing in the moonlight.  
  
The cooing began again, only this time it wasn't a mixture of many bird calls, but rather the calls melted together into one voice, almost sounding like a chant.  
  
Pikachu stiffened upon hearing the words. *Ash, I think a hasty retreat is in order,* he thought.  
  
*Why? What are they saying?* Ash thought back.  
  
Pikachu paused a moment before saying, *Kill the intruders.*  
  
"What?" Ash said aloud, alarm evident in his voice.  
  
The others all turned their heads towards him, surprised at the sudden outburst. Before anyone could say anything, movement from the tree that held the pidgey caused them all to return their gazes to the branches. From the shadows, onto an empty branch, strut a brown bird, similar to the pidgey, but much larger. The branch sagged as the pokemon walked further out, it's sharp talons scratching the wooden bark as it moved.  
  
"Ash," Brock whispered in awe. "Isn't that-"  
  
"Yes," Ash answered, getting a good look at the pokemon. "That's Pidgeot." Ash was surprised to see his pidgeot. He had come back for him once, but was unable to find him, and now he was sitting in front of him.  
  
Pidgeot turned his head in order to glare at Ash with one red eye, long red and yellow feathers trailing from his head to his back.  
  
"Pidgeot!" the large bird shrilly cried. The pidgey calls immediately stopped. After a long moment of silence, Pidgeot let out another cry, this one fiercer than the first.  
  
Ash began to back away. *Pikachu, that didn't sound like an 'Ash I'm so pleased to see you' call,* Ash thought.  
  
*That's because it was a 'Kill them all' call,* Pikachu informed him.  
  
The pidgey began to take flight, the beating of wings filling the once still air.  
  
"Pikachu use thunder wave," Ash called as the large group of pidgey began crashing towards them.  
  
"Thunder wave?" Duplica cried. "Don't you think you should use somthing stronger?"  
  
"Duplica, with Pikachu anything stronger would roast the pidgey. We want to stop them, not kill them," Ash said as Pikachu leapt to the ground, taking his position at Ash's feet. When he released the attack, the forest was brightly lit up, forcing them all to shade their eyes. Ash was amazed to find that after the attack ceased only a few pidgey had fallen from the sky, the rest continued relentlessly towards them.  
  
"If it means them or us, I want you to kill them," Duplica said, backing away. "Definitely."  
  
"Run!" Ash cried.  
  
Misty and Duplica quickly made their way into the forest, becoming separated from Ash, Richie, Brock. Fog obscured their vision and they came close to running headlong into a tree more than once as they ran. They began to look for refuge from the pidgey that were relentlessly pursuing them.  
  
Duplica's shoes were not made for running and she had tripped and fallen enough times that Misty had resorted to grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Misty didn't know how she spotted it through the fog, but she noticed a small cave cut into a large boulder on her right. She quickly changed direction, almost diving in, pulling Duplica with her.  
  
They fell to their knees, breathing heavily, but quietly. It was silent for one excruciatingly long moment before the beating of wings began to make it's way into their hearing.  
  
Terror filling her, Duplica opened her mouth, and would have let out a shrill scream had Misty not firmly clamped her hand over her mouth, muffling the cry. They scrambled to the back of the cave, which was turned out to be a small crevice created by a few years of erosion. Had it been a clear night, Misty was certain the pidgey would have seen them.   
  
The pounding of the wings came to a full crescendo before slowly becoming softer. Soon, all that could be heard was the soft flapping of wings, then nothing at all.  
  
They waited a few moments, deathly still, before Misty removed her hand from Duplica's mouth. They both slumped against the wall, relief flooding through them, panting heavily, as fear had caused them to forget to breathe.  
  
After a long silence Duplica took off her shoes, grimacing as she revealed a number of cuts and blisters, all shining crimson in the glow of the moon.   
  
Misty immediatly felt sorry for her. She slid her arms from her bookbag and set it in her lap. Rummaging through it she found her extra pair of boots and pulled them out, holding them triumphantly.   
  
"Here," she said, handing the boots and a pair of socks to Duplica.   
  
Duplica shot her and incredulous looks, but a grateful one all the same. "Do you think they're gone?" she asked as she gingerly pulled a sock on, hoping to avoid touching her fresh cuts.  
  
Misty shrugged. "I think we should wait here a while, then head to Diglett's Cave. We'll never find anyone in this forest and we know that's where everyone is headed."  
  
Duplica nodded as she laced up the boots. "I hope they're all okay."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash leaned against the trunk of a large oak tree, resting after battling all of the pidgey that had pursued him. Small brown lumps of unconscious pidgey littered the ground. It had taken almost all of the power he and Pikachu had before the pidgey had finally been subdued. Pikachu was now in Ash's bag, exhausted and sound asleep.  
  
The fog drifted lazily past him, glowing a soft white in the light of the moon. The movement of a dark shape deep within the fog, caught Ash's eye and he squinted, trying to make it out. It became larger as it got closer, and it was heading towards him at a slow, but steady pace. Ash slowly stood, unsure if he should be prepared or not. The fog parted as the figure reached him, revealing his redheaded wife, appearing slightly bedraggled, but no worse for the wear.  
  
"Ash," she said, looking him over with her crystal blue eyes. "Where are the others?"  
  
He shrugged, then regretted the action as his shoulder shot pain down his arm in protest of the movement.   
  
A wind began to form, whipping Misty's hair around her face. She tucked the loose strands behind her ears in annoyance. "Who has the pendent?" she asked, keeping her eyes locked upon him, as though she thought he might have it.   
  
Ash suddenly became suspicious; Misty knew Brock had the pendent. He kept his expression impassive as he said, "I do, you know that."  
  
His suspicions were confirmed when a grin formed upon Misty's pink lips and she reached out, grabbing him by the neck. She shoved him into the tree he had been leaning against, holding him with an unnatural strength that the real Misty did not posses. Her eyes flared and an unnatural wind picked up, blowing her hair into the air. "I was hoping you would say that," she said, but in a deep male voice, certainly not her own.   
  
Her grip around Ash's neck tightened, making him cough and sputter trying to breathe. He grabbed her wrist as she lifted him into the air, his feet dangling helplessly above the ground. Still unable to breathe, Ash closed his eyes, concentrating all of his power to the hand he had wrapped around the replica of Misty's wrist. He released a powerful surge of electricity. Surprised, she hissed in pain and quickly released her grip around his neck. Ash fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, gasping for air.  
  
Ash looked up, rubbing his raw neck, and saw the clone of Misty cradling her arm, her teeth gritted as she glared at him. As he watched, Misty's form began to blur and turn a light shade of gray before reconfiguring. Then a picture perfect duplication of himself stood towering over him.  
  
"Give me the pendent!" it cried, lunging at Ash, who rolled away.  
  
Unfortunately for Ash, Pikachu was a heavy sleeper and remained in a peaceful slumber in Ash's bag, oblivious to what was happening. It didn't really matter though, Pikachu would be of little help since he used most of his powers on the pidgey.   
  
Ash quickly stood, his adversary doing the same. They stared one another down for a moment, each making a silent challenge to the other.   
  
It was the first to attack, charging at Ash and leaping into the air. Ash, who was still weak from the battle with the pidgey, was unable to move out of the way before it connected a powerful flying kick to his stomach. Ash was sent flying backwards into the trunk of the tree that stood behind him. He slid to the ground, then rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing as he tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. A sharp pain exploded near his ribs when his attacker sent a sharp kick to his side.  
  
Ash cried out in pain and fell to his stomach. He lay still, too weakened from his earlier battle to conjure up enough electricity to even shock his attacker. It stood over Ash, smiling triumphantly as it took the heel of its boot and dug it into his shoulder, the one that had been dislocated the night before. "Give me the pendent," it said, pressing on Ash's shoulder until he cried out.  
  
A rustling from Ash's bag drew its attention away from Ash. It looked on in confusion as Pikachu leapt from the bag, exhausted, but infuriated at the treatment of his master.  
  
"Piikaachuu!" he cried, sending all the electricity he had left into a thunder shock.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Richie sat on the ground, breathing hard, exhausted from the earlier running. Brock stood above him, doubled over with his hands upon his knees for support, also trying to regain his breath. They had managed to lose the pidgey after a mad dash through the forest.  
  
"Where did the others go?" Richie asked, once his breath had somewhat returned.  
  
Brock flopped down next to him, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm not sure. They all ran in different directions."  
  
A sudden bright flash from somewhere deeper in the forest informed them of Ash's location. They stood up and began quickly making their way toward the source of the flash. They knew they were heading in the right direction when they began to see unconscious pidgey littered all over the ground. It wasn't long before they reached a small clearing of trees and saw Ash. He was badly beaten, cradling an unconscious Pikachu in his arms as he sat leaning wearily against a tree.  
  
"Ash!" Richie cried, running towards him, Brock in tow. "What happened?" Richie and Brock knelt next to him, one on each side.  
  
"It attacked me," Ash said, wincing slightly as he spoke. "It's stronger Richie. If it weren't for Pikachu..." he trailed off, looking at the unconscious pokemon in his arms.  
  
"We have to figure out how to destroy it," Brock said.  
  
Ash slowly looked at him. "It kept telling me to give it the pendent," he informed them. "Where is it?"  
  
"I still have it," Brock told him.  
  
A look of satisfaction entered Ash's eyes. "Maybe you should let me hold onto it, so it doesn't attack you."  
  
Brock shook his head. "I still want to examine it. I'm trying to translate it."  
  
Ash sighed. "All right, let's go, we need to meet the others."  
  
Richie nodded. "Hopefully they headed to Diglett's Cave."  
  
Richie and Brock helped Ash up, and he began walking very slowly, Pikachu still in his arms. None of them noticed the dark figure who sat crouched in the shadows, watching their every move.  
  
  
  
A/N: Hey! I would like to set the record straight, I have NOT died and this story is still being written. It's being written very slowly, but it's being written. I have had little to no time these past couple months and unfortunately I am also writing Change of Heart at the same time as this. Don't worry, each will be updated as quickly as I can. By the way, as if any of you remember, the part in the last chapter about deja vu was actually referring to the anime episode when Team Rocket called Ash claiming to be Richie. Lame, I know. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please read and review. 


	6. cha 6

Indigo Plateau was in a state of panic. Dozens of security guards were dead and the Pokemon Master was missing. But the thing that was most disturbing, at least to Lance, was the security tape that clearly showed Ash Ketchum committing the brutal murders. Lance sighed as the screen changed from a picture to fuzzy static. He turned to his colleagues, who sat in stunned silence. still staring at the TV, as though the black and white lines zigzagging across the screen held some hidden explanation.  
  
No one could believe that Ash could have committed such horrendous crimes. Then again, the three years he had been missing had obviously changed him. He had become quiet, more thoughtful, and, as some had seen, violent.   
  
Lance looked around the table, uncomfortable at the absence of so many leaders. Only five of the eight gym leaders were at the emergency meeting he called. It had been quite a relief to find that Erika, Surge, and Koga had been under Gary Oak's psychic control when they had tried to take over Indigo. They had been reinstated to their positions with the little trouble, although Surge never could look Sabrina in the eye again. Lorna, on the other hand, had acted of her own free will and was sitting in a jail cell, where she would remain for the rest of her life.  
  
  
Lance took his seat at the head of the table. Until Richie was found, he was in charge of Indigo Plateau. To his right sat Agatha, her wrinkled brow furrowed as she contemplated the current situation. Next to her was Loreli, who absently cleaned her glasses on her shirt while she stared at the table. On Lance's left sat Bruno, his large muscular arms flexed as he held his head in his hands. The rest of the table was occupied by the gym leaders, save for the three that were missing. The empty chair that sat between Erika and Blaine was meant to be occupied by Brock, who had been missing since the attack on the Master's Mansion. Between Surge and Koga was Misty's empty chair. Everyone present was particularly worried about Misty because she was married to the man who had apparently just committed mass murder. Was she a victim? Or an accomplice? The third unoccupied seat stood on the end, next to Sabrina. It was supposed to be filled by the Viridian City Gym Leader. As of late the position had become a very ominous position to hold. First Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket who was murdered, then Lorna, a woman bent on taking over the world, and, just recently, none other than Ash himself.  
  
It had taken much persuasion before Ash would take the job. In the end, the only reason Ash had agreed to do it was because Richie had promised to make Viridian Gym only open two months out of the year, therefore giving Ash ten months off, which pleased both Ash and Misty. Of course many young trainers were not pleased. Ash Ketchum was the best pokemon trainer in the world, how could anyone hope to beat him? Fortunately, Ash went easier on the new trainers, not too easy, but easier than if he were the master. He never used Pikachu and he mostly used newer pokemon, ones at lower levels. Even so, he was a formidable opponent, and not many could beat him on their first try.  
  
A foreboding settled upon Lance as he considered this. If Ash really had committed those crimes, who could ever hope to apprehend him?  
  
"I don't believe that Ash could have done that," Blaine said, breaking the silence.  
  
A murmur of agreement rose from the others.   
  
"None of us thought he was capable of it, but he's on the tape, what other explanation is there?" Lance said.   
  
"I find it difficult to believe that our gentle Ashton could have committed such crimes," Sabrina piped up, her black bangs hanging over her eyes.  
  
"Gentle my boot!" Surge said gruffly. "Am I the only one who remembers what he did to Gary?"  
  
"Gary had it coming!" Blaine interjected, his brown eyes flashing behind his dark glasses.  
  
Surge shrugged. "Maybe he thought Richie had it coming," he said defensively, folding his thick arms across his chest.  
  
"Richie and Ash are friends, Surge," Erika snapped, tucking a loose strand of raven hair into red headband.  
  
"Needless to say," Lance interrupted. "It seems pretty clear that Ash killed all those people." Silence descended upon the group. "We must decide what to do," he continued. "If Ash truly has become homicidal, we may not be able to stop him."  
  
A snort caused them all to turn their gazes to Bruno. "Leave him to me, he may be good with pokemon, but he wont be able to defeat me in hand to hand combat."  
  
"Bruno, do not underestimate him, he has great power," Sabrina told him.  
  
"I can take what ever he dishes out," Bruno said cockily, running a hand through his auburn hair, "He's little, how much power can he have?"  
  
Although Ash was far from little, Bruno made even the 6'2" Lt. Surge look small. Ash, who stood at 5'11" only came to Bruno's chest when they stood side by side. Ash was also strong, even without his powers, but he was built more athletically, not sickeningly muscular like Bruno, who's arm would ripple with muscles when he flexed.  
  
"I'll repeat," Surge said. "Remember what he did to Gary? He would turn you into a fried meal before you could even get near him."  
  
Anyone who held a seat at Indigo knew about Ash's powers and what had happened the night Gary tried to take over. The master, the elite, and the gym leaders all knew Ash's secret, although none of the elite had ever seen Ash use his powers.  
  
"The question is," Agatha said, glancing around the table. "Do we inform the public?"  
  
"On one hand, we could cause a mass hysteria," Blaine said, thinking of what could happen if the public heard the great Ash Ketchum was committing murder.  
  
"But on the other, if we don't tell them, they won't realize he's dangerous," Surge pointed out. "Ash is famous, civilians talk to him on a daily basis."   
  
"But," Sabrina piped up, her calm voice eerily out of place in the tense room. "There is always the potential for a civilian to decide to play the part of a hero, and very likely get himself killed."  
  
Silence again settled over them as they contemplated their options. The silence was broken by Blaine.  
  
"Something still bothers me," he said, standing up and walking towards the TV. He pushed the play button on the VCR, only to be met with the sight of Ash breaking the neck of one of the mansion's guards. "Why wouldn't he use electricity?" Blaine asked.  
  
They all cringed as the tape moved on to show the more brutal and seemingly impossible murders. Lance watched as a sadistic smile formed upon Ash's face.  
  
"I think something just snapped," Lance told Blaine.  
  
"But he was always so quiet, so nice," Erika said. "He seems like the kind of person who could hurt a bug pokemon, let alone a human."  
  
"No one knows what happened to him those three years he was missing," Loreli said, talking for the first time the entire meeting. "It may have been enough to severely scar him."  
  
"No matter what, he is a danger to the public," Surge said. "They must be warned."  
  
Lance nodded and a few murmured in assent. "We'll put out a bounty for any information anyone may have on his whereabouts," he informed them. "We will also warn that he is extremely dangerous and should be approached with caution."  
  
Troubled glances were cast around the table as they nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ditto's cave was dark, damp, and, for Misty, it caused a slight case of claustrophobia to set in. Misty and Duplica had met up with Ash, Brock, and Richie by the entrance to Ditto's cave shortly after dawn.   
  
Every step they took echoed loudly off the tunnel's walls and the cave was damp, with a slight smell of must. Misty glanced over her shoulder at Ash, who was hanging back, bringing up the rear. He looked quite battered, a split lip and a swollen eye giving him the look of a boxer. She was worried; whatever this evil was, it was growing very powerful.   
  
Pikachu had begun to feel better after a long rest and a large dose of potion from Ash's bag. He walked at Misty's feet, strangely keeping a good distance away from his brooding trainer.  
  
They had been traveling through Diglett's cave for a day and a half, and Misty was glad that they would soon be in Vermillion. She was tired of fumbling through the dark with nothing but the light from Brock's vulpix to guide them. Misty eyed every dark corner, every shadow warily. For the past day she had had the distinct feeling that someone was following them. Now, the slightest uncommon noise set her on edge. She wanted to get out of the cave as soon as possible.   
  
Misty noticed another's presence next to her, and, upon turning her head, she saw Duplica walking beside her. Since the night before, when they had been chased by pidgey, both women had had a much better attitude towards one another.   
  
Duplica shot a quick glance at Ash, who was a good distance behind them, before saying, "It he always so moody?"  
  
Misty shook her head. "Something must be bothering him," she answered quietly.  
  
"He is fine," a deep voice snapped from behind them, startling both Duplica and Misty. They turned to see Ash staring at them, a scowl on his face. Without another word he pushed his way between them and made his way to the front of the group where Richie and Brock were walking side by side in silence.  
  
Misty watched him stalk away. "Something isn't right," she muttered.  
  
The tension in the air was thick and it had settled upon the group like a fog. Brock was relieved to see the exit of Ditto's cave come into his vision, he wanted to get to the old temple as soon as possible. He hoped they could find the answers about this mysterious being with the ability to change shape.   
  
Everyone's moods lifted considerably when they stepped out of the stuffy cave and into fresh air, blinking as they allowed their eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. Trees obstructed some of the sunlight, making it a very pleasant atmosphere. Brock began to lead the way through the forest. The paths were overgrown after years of disuse and they spent most of their time picking their way over fallen trees and other debris.   
  
They were hot, sweaty, and tired when Brock finally came to a halt, pointing at the entrance to what looked like a large stone temple, hidden by trees and foliage. "There it is," he said.  
  
They paused for a moment, regulating their breathing as they stared at the temple. Brock moved forward first, ducking under the yellow caution tape that read, "Danger: Cave-in." He pulled he pendent from it's resting place in his pocket. The sun glinted off it as he held it up, next to the door of the temple. "It's exactly the same," he murmured. Richie took a step forward and saw Brock was right, the exact same symbols that were on the pendent were carved into the gray stone door.   
  
"Let's go in," Ash said, stepping forward and pushing on the door. It slowly began to open, the door scraping as it slid upon against the stone floor.   
  
Misty was the first to enter and immediately got the feeling that she was standing inside somewhere that was very sacred and very old. Although it was unlit, sunlight filtered in through the temple's open door, illuminating a small bit of the golden covered inside.   
  
Noticing the unlit torches surrounding the vast temple, Brock pulled a pokeball from his belt. "Vulpix go!" he said, releasing his small fox like pokemon. Vulpix stared at him, his pointed ears twitching as he awaited his command. "Use ember, light those torches."  
  
"Vul!" The pokemon complied, shooting a stream of flame from its mouth, which quickly circled the room, lighting the torches one by one. When Vulpix was finished, the temple was fully illuminated in all its glory.  
  
They stood on what seemed to be the second floor of the temple, which was actually a very wide ledge that encircled the bottom floor, allowing them to see it. It was a rather high fall, if one was not careful by the wallless edge. In front of them were stone steps, which led down to the main part of the temple. In the center of the room stood two human sized gold boxes, standing on their ends, each reminding Misty of a mummy's coffin. Around the perimeter of the room stood high stone columns, presumably supporting the ledge above it. At the base of each column stood man sized states, each carved to look like armored humans, with a different pokemon head atop every one. Upon the walls, hieroglyphics were carved, each depicting various scenes.   
  
Brock recalled vulpix and slowly began to descend the steps, the others following close behind him.  
  
"Brock, I thought you said there was a cave in," Misty said as she glanced around the temple that was seemingly in perfect condition.  
  
"That's what I was told," Brock replied, his voice echoing off the walls.  
  
"Why would anyone lie about that?" Duplica asked.  
  
Brock shrugged and continued down the stairs. He reached the floor and headed for the golden caskets, which were, by far, the most prominent feature of the temple.  
  
Misty though, was intrigued by the four statues that were carved into the pillars. She walked over to the nearest one, examining it closely. The statue stood higher than her and was clad in armor, a double edged sword hanging from its belt. It's head was that of a fearow, and was cocked sideways, staring at her with one eye.  
  
Misty was so preoccupied with the lifelike features of the statue, she didn't notice Ash say in a foreign language, "Presenti! Difenda il vostro tempiale!"  
She continued to stare at the statue, inching closer to it. Misty gasped in surprise and stepped back. Its large eye had suddenly blinked.  
  
Unlike Misty, Duplica had heard Ash say... whatever it was he had said. He stood on the top of the steps, looking down at them all, a small smile forming upon his face. A low growling noise from behind her caused her to remove her attention from Ash and stare at the statue behind her. Instead of being an unmoving piece of stone, the head of an arcanine that sat upon shoulders of a human body was now staring at her. She watched with trepidation as its hand moved to the double bladed axe that now swung freely at its side.  
  
Across the room from Duplica, Richie watched Ash curiously as he stood at the top of the steps, mumbling something in a different language. A hiss came from behind him, and he turned slowly, only to come face to face with a statue with the head of an arbok, its fangs dripping as its human hands reached for the spiked mace that was attached to it's belt.  
  
"Where did Ash learn the ancient tongue?" Brock asked Pikachu, who stood at his feet. Pikachu said nothing as he kept his eyes on the fourth and final statue adorned with the head of a nidoking. As soon as Ash said the phrase, the creaking of rock alerted Brock to the statue, which had just amazingly broken apart from the stone pillar it had been carved into.  
  
Misty screamed as the statue tore itself from the stone pillar and lunged itself at her, the fearow head screeching as it attacked. She watched in horror as the sword was swung down at her, but the blow never came as she was suddenly pushed out of the way. Misty landed hard on the ground, a heavy weight on top of her. She looked up to see warm brown eyes boring into her own.  
  
"Ash?" she asked.  
  
He grinned at her, then as if he could sense the attack, rolled them both out of the way as the fearow statue's sword slammed into the stone floor, sparks flying at the impact.  
  
"You!" a voice cried angrily.  
  
Misty looked up from her place on the floor to see none other than Ash standing on the top of the top of the steps. She looked in amazement at the other Ash who still remained on top of her.  
  
"I left you for dead!" the Ash on the top of the stairs boomed, but in a deep voice that obviously wasn't Ash's.   
  
"Better check more carefully next time," Ash called up to him, standing and pulling Misty to her feet.  
  
"Never mind, these warriors will finish you off for me," it said calmly, gesturing to the stone statues, which were each advancing on a member of the group. "I have what I came for." It held up the golden pendent.  
  
*Pikachu!* Ash thought quickly. *Get the pendent!*  
  
"Look out!" Misty cried as the fearow once again swung its sword at Ash, narrowly missing his neck.  
  
Richie didn't dare take his eyes off of the large purple snake head with the mace grasped in its human hand, but he could hear the exchange between Ash and the shape shifter. It made sense now, why Ash was acting so moody, it had not been Ash. He backed slowly away from the advancing statue, watching the mace, which was now being swung over the snake's head. The arbok struck, and Richie dove to the ground before scrambling to his feet and taking off across the temple, his attacker right behind him.  
  
Duplica quickly moved out of the way when she saw Richie come running at her, a large statue with an arbok head chasing him, swinging a mace. She then returned her attention to the arcanine, which was still growling at her, the large double headed axe raised. It swung at her and she ducked, the axe becoming powerfully embedded in the stone pillar she had been backed up against. The arcanine grunted as it tried to pull its weapon from the pillar. She began to run, but was knocked to her feet by the statue's thick foot. She fell to the floor, her blue hair splayed about her face. It pried its axe from the pillar and raised it over its head. Duplica screamed and covered her head with her arm, but the clash of metal on metal caused her to look up.  
  
Above her stood not only her attacker, but another statue, fighting it. She stood up quickly, and upon further inspection realized it was the exact same statue, except this one seemed less fierce because instead of an arcanine face, it was none other than her ditto's pink smiling face.  
  
Brock watched as Pikachu went scampering up the stairs, chasing after the shape shifter. He saw, to his dismay, the shape shifter push the small yellow mouse off him, then run out of the temple, slamming the door behind him, locking them in. He didn't know how it had gotten the pendent, but the only thing Brock could assume was it was not only a shape shifter, but it was also a pickpocket. He was pulled from his thoughts when a lance landed inches from him, with enough force to embed itself into the stone floor. Brock realized it had been thrown by the statue with a nidoking head, who let out an angry roar after missing its target.  
  
"Brock!" Ash called as he dodged yet another attack from the fearow's sword. "You have to find a way to stop these things!"  
  
"Are you saying you can't stop them?" Richie called as he ducked and the arbok's mace slammed into a pillar.  
  
"They're made out of rock," Ash replied as he backflipped away from the fearow, who screeched angrily. "I might be able to slow them down, but I don't have enough power to destroy all four."  
  
"Ash, you're going to have to get this thing off my back if you want me to look for a way to stop them," Brock hollered as he dodged another lance from the nidoking.  
  
Ash summoned up his power and used a thunder bomb on the fearow, who was slammed into a wall behind it with a tremendous force. He then ran after the nidoking, who had given up on the lance and had begun chasing Brock around the temple. Ash took a leap onto the nidoking's back, who stopped chasing Brock and gave all his attention to the unwanted rider upon his back. He began to run frantically, trying to throw Ash off.  
  
Brock, using the statue's preoccupation to his advantage, ran back to the coffins and began desperately reading the inscriptions, trying to find a way to stop the rampaging statues.  
  
The nidoking statue finally succeeded in throwing Ash off of it. He flew backward, crashing into a pillar before sliding down it and landing in a crumpled heap. "Ow," he said as he looked up, pushing his sweat soaked hair from his face.   
  
The nidoking was about to turn back to Brock when Ash quickly stood up, releasing a thunder bomb at it. The ball of yellow electricity hit the statue sending it flying to the ground and sliding across the floor.   
  
The fearow statue stood up, shaking it's head clear after the unexpected attack. Its anger had risen and it set its sights upon the first human it saw, the redheaded woman. The fearow screeched as it ran after Misty, who took off running when she saw the statue coming at her. Having nowhere else to go, she sprinted up the stairs, the fearow on her tail.  
  
Ash wiped his sweaty forehead and took a quick assessment of what was going on. Richie was still dodging the arbok's mace, while Duplica's ditto had transformed into a statue to defend her. Brock was frantically trying to decipher the inscriptions on the caskets and Misty... where was Misty? Then he saw her, on the second floor, running from the fearow statue, her red hair trailing behind her.   
  
"Pikachu!" Ash called. The pokemon leapt onto Ash's shoulder. "Thunder whip!" he said, pointing to the fearow. Pikachu complied, sending a thin bolt of lightening at the fearow statue. The bolt lassoed its thin stone neck and the fearow nearly fell, being jerked back in mid-run.  
  
"Pull it off the ledge," Ash commanded. Pikachu mentally tugged on the bolt with enough strength to pull the statue right off the ledge. It fell through the air and landed with a crash.  
  
From the second floor, Misty had her hands on her knees, supporting her upper body as she tried to regain her breath. "Thanks!" she called breathlessly.  
  
Ash, unfortunately, did not have time to acknowledge her, for before his very eyes both the fearow and the nidoking statues were standing up, neither seeming to notice that they weren't even scratched on attacks that would have killed a human. They both began advancing on him. Ash shot two thunder bombs, one from each hand. The statues were hit, but remained standing and continued advancing.  
  
"These things won't die!" Ash yelled, backing away. "Brock, hurry up!"  
  
"I'm trying!" Brock cried, running a finger along the gold as he read.   
  
Duplica's ditto was taking a beating too, and Richie wasn't sure how much longer he could dodge the mace, each swing became progressively closer to hitting him.  
  
Ash backed into a wall, his thunder bombs not having enough power behind them anymore to do any real damage to the statues. Misty watched in horror as the fearow raised its sword to strike as the nidoking lifted its lance. Ash raised his arms as a useless attempt to block the attacks.  
  
"Got it!" Brock cried. "Il pericolo è andato! Ritorni alla vostra origine!"  
Ash cringed as the fearow swung its sword, but it stopped in midair. All of the statues stopped and stood still for a moment, before breaking into hundreds of pieces of rock and crumbling before their very eyes. Ash stared at the two piles of gravel that sat in front of him and slid down the wall in relief and exhaustion. Duplica and Richie made their way over to him, collapsing next to him and leaning against the wall, both exhausted from their own fights. Misty and Brock were the last to join them, relief etched upon their faces.  
  
They sat in silence, each contemplating their own thoughts, until Brock said, "It got the pendent."  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu piped up from Ash's shoulder. He held up the pendent with a yellow paw.  
  
Ash laughed. "Good job Pikachu," he said ruffling between the pokemon's ears.  
  
They all smiled, but Brock continued. "While I was reading those caskets I found out exactly what we're dealing with." He paused. "It doesn't look good."  
  
  
  
A/N: Yes I'm still around, and yes I am still working on this fic. Sorry about the long waits between chapters but school and sports keep getting in the way. By the way, I planned to have the "ancient tongue" be Japanese but then I remembered, I can't speak Japanese. So the language is actually Italian, for anyone wondering, and FYI, (Fake)Ash was saying "Arise! Defend your temple!" and Brock said "The danger is gone! Return to your origins!" Just a small tidbit of info for those of you who care. Please review, thanks a lot. 


	7. cha 7

"It was not long after the creation of man that the first pokemon was discovered outside a forest, cautiously sniffing a bush. For centuries pokemon and humans lived peacefully with one another, neither species bothering or threatening the other. As the world evolved so did the humans and the pokemon. It was only a matter of time before the two species were forced to become intertwined.   
  
It was late one afternoon when two young girls, out picking flowers, stumbled upon an odd looking pokemon, resembling a gray blob. Now one must remember, while humans knew there was something different about pokemon, they had neither the intelligence nor the patience to find out what set the species apart from themselves. Humans had little knowledge of the pokemon's powers, especially since the pokemon rarely used them because battling was not something done often.   
  
The gray pokemon, who would later become known as Replicate, was the young world's first exposure to true evil. He was a violent pokemon, with a distinct dislike towards humans. Replicate was and is the only known form of an evolved Ditto, the happy pink blob who can transform into anything.   
  
The girls, being naturally curious, immediately became interested in the new pokemon. In a fit of rage uncommon to any other pokemon's temperament, it killed the two girls by remaining in its blob form and throwing itself down their throats, pulling their organs back through their mouths. A horrible, painful way to die, which only made it more satisfying for Replicate. This type of death would become Replicate's calling card.   
  
The deaths of the young girls lit a spark of panic throughout the humans in Kanto. Humans came to fear pokemon, killing them or locking them into cages whenever they had the opportunity. It was when some pokemon, afraid for their lives, began to resist, that their true elemental powers were revealed. Now even more terrified of the pokemon, humans began killing as many as possible. Soon an all out war had erupted between the humans and the pokemon, each species fighting for their own survival.   
  
Behind it all remained Replicate, who had discovered the ability to morph, not only into other pokemon, but into humans as well. He used the newfound skill to his advantage to cause havoc. As a pokemon he would tell the other pokemon of the torturous things humans did to their kind. As a human he would create lies about how the pokemon brutally killed humans. He would then fade into the background, to watch joyfully as the chaos and destruction heightened in his wake.  
  
The once peaceful and bright region was transformed into a dark place. Fires from burning villages would blaze well into the night after fire pokemon set the humans' houses afire. The flames illuminated the enraged humans as they killed the offending pokemon.  
  
This very well could have gone on for years, until both species had completely destroyed one another had not an elderly man stumbled upon the fact that Replicate was the instigator of the war. He saw him change from his human form to his pokemon form after telling an entire town of the horrors pokemon had done to his family.   
  
From then on the war shifted as the news of the inherently evil pokemon reached ears far and wide. Humans and pokemon began to join forces to destroy this evil. Although humans and pokemon had coexisted for thousands of years, this was the first time in history the two species cooperated. With the greater intelligence of the humans guiding the far superior power of the pokemon, both species realized how beneficial it was to work together.   
  
Unfortunately nothing they could do could stop Replicate, for he had grown incredibly powerful and his ability to shape shift made him nearly impossible to find. He was now able to force other pokemon to do his bidding after learning psychic techniques. When he was fought, he was impossible to kill, even with pokemon and humans working together. The only thing conceivable of killing the pokemon would be a combination of a human with a pokemon's powers, and back then such a thing was impossible.  
  
The humans of that time relied heavily on religion. Priests, who resided in the now ancient stone temples that can be found throughout Kanto, began praying for help, hoping to gain the answer to destroying the evil pokemon. The answer came to them in what is now believed to be a powerful psychic link, perhaps from one of the legendary pokemon. The most farfetched synopsis is that the voice came from Mew herself, but this idea is often frowned upon simply because of the doubt that Mew ever existed.   
  
The answer, considered a prophecy, is now carved on the door of the temple in Viridian forest. The prophecy warns that there is only one who can kill Replicate and even he will not be able to survive the experience. Until that being came along, they had to find a way to keep him contained and stop the violence the pokemon caused.   
  
It was around this time that an energy that would effectively trap a pokemon was discovered. They instantly saw the potential for trapping Replicate, and keeping him locked away until the prophecy could be fulfilled. Thus a primitive pokeball was created. It was a golden chest rather than the more familiar red and white sphere of today, but it worked the same way.   
  
By now Replicate preferred the human form and was rarely seen as a pokemon. The only way to know that he was truly the evil pokemon was by the golden pendent that hung from his neck. The people of that time were often superstitious and soon a rumor was spread that the souls of those Replicate had killed were contained in the pendent, and it was what made him truly powerful. Whether or not this was true was never discovered.  
  
It took the lives of many men and pokemon alike before one day a lucky, but evidently suicidal slash attack cut the pendent from Replicate's neck. His apparent power source gone, Replicate was captured and he was locked into the chest, hopefully forever."  
  
  
  
The group of friends who had just listened to Brock's explanation of their new enemy remained silent, a distinct feeling of foreboding settling upon each of them. The sun shone slightly through the branches of the forest into the clearing they had chosen to rest in after finding their way out of the temple.  
  
The rest of the group was looking at their dark haired leader, who was standing against a tree, his arms folded across his chest, staring at nothing. He was quiet for a long time, while the others nervously glanced at one another. "Well," Ash said, breaking the silence. "That would explain why he wants the pendent. It's his power source." He looked at each of his friends, who were sitting in a semicircle, staring up at him as he pushed himself from the tree and began walking towards them.   
  
"Are you saying that this guy isn't even at full power yet?" Richie asked, recalling how badly he had beaten up Ash, even if he had taken him by surprise.  
  
Ash didn't answer, for his brown eyes were now fixed upon the pendent, which Brock had pulled from his pocket in order to examine it. The sunlight shone off the golden talisman as it slowly turned on the chain, flashing bits of light onto the tense faces of those who were sitting.  
  
The low pitched whistling had begun in Ash's ears again, just as it had the first night he had seen the pendent. The whistling grew and once again became a horrific, tortured screaming. He clamped his hands over his ears, the cries becoming painfully loud.  
  
"Ash!" Misty cried, when a moan escaped his lips and he fell to his knees. She rushed to his side.  
  
"What's wrong?" Brock asked, dropping the pendent to the ground and scrambling to his friends side.  
  
Richie and Duplica stood quickly, watching with trepidation as the normally collected Ash remained kneeling, rocking back and forth, his hands clamped firmly over his ears.  
  
Alarmed, Pikachu tried to connect with his trainer, hoping to find out what was wrong. "Pika!" he cried in shock after hearing the torturous screams that pained Ash's mind. Looking around anxiously for the source of his masters sudden pain, Pikachu's eyes fell upon the only foreign object in the clearing: the golden pendent, which shimmered brightly in the sun.  
  
Quickly running to it, Pikachu picked it up by its chain, allowing it to dangle from his mouth. He sprinted to Brock, who was trying to talk to Ash to no avail. By this time, Ash had begun to emit sharp cries of pain. Brock was surprised when he felt his pants shift, and upon looking down he saw Pikachu shoving the pendent back into his pocket. "Pikachu, what are you-" Brock began, but stopped when he realized that Ash had suddenly become quiet, slumping into Misty's arms, drained of energy.   
  
She gently held his limp body and adjusted him so his head rested in her lap. "What just happened?" she asked, a touch of terror in her tone.  
  
Brock looked from his pocket to the unconscious form of his friend, watching as Misty gently ran her hand through his sweat laced hair. A seemingly impossible explanation occurred to him. "The story said Replicate kept the souls of those he killed within the pendent," he said, glancing at the pale faces of his companions. "Maybe, for some reason, Ash can hear them."  
  
The idea was insane, but it made perfect sense.  
  
~*~*~  
  
He didn't know what woke him first, his growling stomach or his pounding headache. All he knew was that those were the two most prominent things his senses picked up on after he came around.   
  
It wasn't long before his mind registered a slight weight upon his chest and Ash wasn't surprised to find Misty's delicate arm draped across his chest in a half embrace, half protective position. He lay still for a moment taking comfort in her presence before his stomach again reminded him of his need for food. Ash gently moved Misty's arm, being careful not to wake her. He sat up slowly so as not to aggravate his still pounding head.   
  
One glance around the clearing told him it was the middle of the night. The darkness was only shattered by the dim light of a dying fire, which illuminated the faces of his friends, each sound asleep. He stood quietly so as not to wake anyone.   
  
While Brock slept Ash pulled the pendent from his pocket. The whistling that had begun as soon as Ash laid eyes on the pendent stopped abruptly when he shoved the object into his pocket. He wanted the pendent with him for safekeeping, for he knew that Brock would not be able to fight off Replicate.   
  
Ash picked up some leftovers of the others' dinner, which was too fancy to have been made by anyone but Brock.  
  
The almost inaudible sound of leaves crunching in time with steps drew his attention from his food. He slowly stood up, his headache allowing him to hear his heart pounding in his ears. Shaking off a sudden wave of dizziness, he made his way towards the sound of leaves, remaining quiet as he walked. Leaving the clearing behind, Ash crept into the forest, glancing between trees for the source of the noise.   
  
It was the cracking of branches that caused him to look up in time to see a large net come crashing down from above him. It landed atop him, the weight forcing him to the ground.   
  
A malevolent female laugh and a flash of blonde hair gave him a vague idea of who he was dealing with, but the scratchy male voice that followed made him certain of who his attackers were.  
  
"We meet again, Ashton," the voice said.  
  
Ash struggled against the net, trying to break free from his confines. "What do you want Butch?" he growled.  
  
Butch went to answer but was interrupted by his female companion. "You of course," she said, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.  
  
"What do you want me for?" Ash asked as he continued to no avial to try and free himself.  
  
"You see dear Ashton," Butch began, glaring haughtily down at him. "When Team Rocket was dispersed we turned to the other side of the law."  
  
"We're bounty hunters now," Cassidy added smugly. "And you have one hell of a bounty on your head."  
  
Ash stopped struggling and quickly looked at her. "Bounty?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"Did you really think you could kill all those people and get away with it?" Cassidy asked, her green eyes gleaming. "Although I have to commend you, I didn't think you had it in you."  
  
"Kill?" Ash said, now completely befuddled. "I didn't kill anyone."  
  
Butch narrowed his eyes, a look of disbelief covering his face. "No matter, we're still turning you in."  
  
Ash began to struggle again, this time powering up to use and electric attack on his captors.  
  
Cassidy t'sked at him. "Don't waste your energy," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "That's a shock proof net. We've learned from our mistakes."  
  
As Ash powered down Butch hit him from behind with a large branch. For the second time that day Ash fell into unconsciousness.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ash didn't know where he expected to find himself when he woke up, but a hard cot in a jail cell certainly wasn't it. He sat up slowly, hoping not to aggravate his headache, which had doubled in size since Butch had hit him. He pushed his black locks out of his eyes and winced as he ran his hand over a newly formed bump, courtesy of Butch and a big branch.  
  
Ash's head shot up when he heard the sound of boots falling upon the concrete floor outside his cell. The boots stopped in front of his cell and Ash immediately recognized the man wearing them.   
  
"Bruno," Ash said, relived to see a familiar face.  
  
He was surprised when his greeting was returned with nothing more than a stony glare. Ash and Bruno had never been the best of friends, but they were hardly enemies.  
  
Ash didn't allow his surprise to show as he asked, "What's going on?"  
  
"That's what the league wants to know," Bruno growled, crossing his muscular arms over is chest as he watched Ash stand.   
  
"I don't understand," Ash said, walking towards the bars that separated himself from the large fighting trainer.   
  
"Did you think you could get away with it?" Bruno asked, his dark eyes following Ash's movements. "You killed all those people then kidnapped two gymleaders and the Pokemon Master."  
  
Ash's eyes widened. "What?" he cried, the shock visible in his features. "I didn't kill anyone, and I didn't kidnap Richie!"   
  
Bruno raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "We have a tape clearly showing you in the Master's Mansion killing anyone you came across."  
  
It was then Ash understood. "Replicate," he muttered. Then louder, "That wasn't me."  
  
Bruno rolled his eyes.   
  
"No, I'm serious," Ash said, grabbing the bars. He was surprised to see Bruno take a step back.  
  
"Don't try anything, Ashton, that entire cell is padded with rubber, your electric attacks stand no chance."  
  
Ash raised his eyebrows as he glanced around to see that Bruno was right, rubber padded everything, even the cell's bars. Ash shoved his hands in his pockets, and it was then he noticed that something was missing.   
  
"Bruno, where's the pendent?" he asked, slightly panicky.  
  
"You mean this?" Bruno asked, pulling the golden pendent from his pocket.  
  
"Give me that!" Ash cried, making a grab for it through the bars. Bruno simply backed away and placed the pendent back in his pocket, which was good in a way, for Ash was having a hard time ignoring the screams that were beginning in his head. He shook his head to clear it.  
  
"Bruno, listen to me," Ash began. "I didn't kill anyone. It was Replicate, he transformed into me so you would think it was me."  
  
"Replicate?" Bruno said, confused and disbelieving.  
  
"It's the evolved form of Ditto," Ash explained.  
  
Bruno shook his head. "You've lost it, Ashton. You've snapped."  
  
"Bruno, you have to let me out. It's going to kill them! Bruno!" Ash's cries fell on deaf ears though, as Bruno disappeared down the hall and out of sight.  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, you can't blame the long wait on me!! Well, yes you can, considering it took me a long time to write this, but you can't blame it entirely on me! 'Cause I was done and ready to post, but ff.net wouldn't let me. So it's not completely my fault. (Only 7/8ths my fault!). Well, let's see... there's nothing else to really say is there? Except please review, I love reviews! 


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